The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-23
FOREIGN.
The Morley Amendment Debated in
the Commons.
The Irish Policy Of the Government
Outlined.
Probability of Another AppeaI.to the
Country.
Continuation Of the Celebration ir
Honor OF Emperor William.
A Gala Season Throughout the Ger
man Empire.
The setrothaI of a Royal Couple An
nounced.

| nOdTCCda
LONDON, March 22.-Mr. William Henr
Smith, government leader, arose amids
cheers and counter cheers, in the House 0
Commons this evening, and moved that tn
bill for the amendment Of criminal law il
Ireland have precedence over all orders of tn
day. Mr.. Smith said he would refrain from
stating the details of the measure, leaving
that to the Chief Secretary for Ireland. Re
ferring to the amendment, of which notic'
was given last night by John Morley, reject
ing the declaration of the urgency for thu
governments bill, Mr.. Smith reminded thu
House how Mr. Gladstone resisted the adop
tion of similar amendment in 1881. The
position of the government now was the
same as that of Mr.. Gladstone's government
then. Regarding their amelioration policy
towards Ireland, the speaker said the gov
ernment's land bill would be divided into
two parts. One of these would be introduc-
ed Immediately, and the other would be a
land purchase bill of wide scope. Both
measures would be found to be framed on
principles of honesty and justice. Mr..
Smith said he hoped that the House would
Ii the House did not adopt them, the govern
ment would be compelled to ask the opinion
OF the country to either confirm their policy
or relieve them of the responsibilities OF
government. Cheers.
Mr. John Morley, in moving the rejection
Of the motion for urgency, denied absolutely
Mr.. Smiths assertions as to the lawless con-
dition of Ireland, and demanded that the
government give the comparative statistics
OF crime in Ireland. which he said, would
show that beyond certain very narrow area
the country had seldom been quieter He
could only regard the bill as measure de-
signed to enable landlords to exact exorbi-
tant rents, throwing the law on the side of
the rich, removing all coercive or protective
power which tenants derived sfrom combin-
ing and putting coercion upon unfortunate
tenants. He was less anxious to secure
rents for some hard landlords than to secure
justice for those good and honest working
people. Cheers. Some landlords practiced
a plan of campaign of their own, more inn
moral and more deserving of being called a
swindle than was the plan of the tenants.
Some land agents attempted to coeree ten
ants into buying under the Ashburne act,
debating the terms of purchase. and threat
enlng to eyict unless the tenant consented.
Yet the government demanded the urgency
for a bill giving such men power to force
tenants to pay unreasonable rents, or TO pur-
chase at an unreasonable price. Behind this
bill lay another proposal, that the British
taxpayer be security if the coercion of ten
ants failed to satisfy the landlords. 1t was
the irish history over again. Moral wrongs
pressing upon a suffering people, without ie-
gal remedy. Then illegal acts to secure
something like moral rights, then coercion,
driving just discomfort under the surface, and
exciting fielcer discomfort To ask the ur-
gency for placing a law upon the face of
landlords was to shut the door Of hope upon
the tenant. His conviction was that there
had never been a more wanton, gratuitous
and unjustiflable resort than to the ever fail
ing, ever poisonous. remedy of coercion.
Mr.. Balfour accused Mr.. Morley of bestow-
ing adverse criticisms and iuvectives upon
measure that was as yet unknown. Glad
stone in 1881 told the House to consider, not
only the amount of crime, but its character,
and what it was aimed at The bill had been
forced upon the government because the
present current of crime was aimed at the
subversion of laws the basis of order. Re-
ferring to the land legislation Of the late
government, Mr.. Balfour characterized it as
a humiliating failure TIE land bill about
to be introduced would make the working of
the act Of 1881 far smoother, and give an
pretend that the measure would solve the
land question. The only solution of that
was in great measure dealing with the land
purchase, which the government was ready
to introduce when the opposition was pre-
pared to receive it. (Cheers). In the mean
Of the sanctity Of contracts, or respect for
law in Ireland, unless the government was
able to enforce law? The leaders of the op-
position, though now converted into friends
OF the National League, know that it was a
combination aiming at illegal Sends through
terrorism. What hope was there for any
scheme OF purchase If at the bidding Of the
league solemn compact entered into under
the legislation of 1881 was to be deliberately
broken? If Parliament suffered that COM
pact to be set at naught the more important
and serious compact of the settlement of the
land difficulties might be broken also. Eve
ry man who wished to stop short of separa-
tiOn would be perfectly mad if he followed
the policy of Morley. Let the government
have the power to vindicate. the existing law
and then respect for future legislation would
be ensured. Cheers.
Though neither Smith nor Balfour Wade
any explicit statement of the governments
Irish measures today, an analysis of their
speeches discloses the fact that definite
policy has been decided upon and fully elab-
Grated, covering all the legislation for Ire
land that the government will ever consent
to propose. The programme viii then be a
coercion bill, conjOined with the tenants re-
lief bill, to be introduced in the House of
Lords next week. The relief proposals will
consist of giving tenants the power to STAY
eylctions by declaring their inability to pay
full rent and wiping out the claim by sur
render to the bankruptcy court A general
measure for land purchase will follow.
This measure is now known to be based
upon Chamberlain's land scheme. If the
government should be defeated at any point
in the development Of their policy, they will
not resign, but will appeal to the country.
The confident tone lof the ministerialists
confirms the general accepted reports that
Chamberlain and Lord Harrington assisted
in building the scheme. The Parnelites are
eager to fight at every stage, but they find
m
Instead of eontesting the urgency motion to
the utmost extremity, the Gladstonion whips
without consulting the Parnellites, tonight
arranged with the government whips TO di-
vide on the Morley amendment on Thursday,
thus opening the road TO passage of the
coercion bill before the Easter recess. The
Parnellites are disposed to disregard the
whips, and are arranging to continue the
struggle independently.
BERLIN, March 22.-To-day the Emperor
palace was again besieged by the crowds
and yesterdays enthusiastic demonstration
was continued, the people still chanting the
hymn, Hell dir. Sieger KranZ." Princes
vie with peasants in doing homage to the
aged ruler Many political differences still
convulse the nation and array against eaci
other Guelph, Liberal, Ultramontane and
Social Democrat, but in their recognition oi
the Emperor's services all these varied 'ele
mentS are unit, and not one diseOrdani
note mars the harmony Of their praise. The
IcIeS III UOuOT Oh IUlS event are all on u Scdlt
| of unprecedented splendor. From 50 reign
| ing families ambassadors are sent to pay th'
| Emperor tribute. The Prince Of Wales hail
him in the name of England, the Grown
| Prince Rudolph for Austria, the Crane
Dukes Michel and Vladimir for Russia, anC
Bavaria, Saxony, Italy. Denmark and Swed
en- are no less nobly represented. While tn,
Kaiser was still standing in the historic corn
| er window of his palace this morning. re
| ceiving his royal. guests, other services il
honor of his birthday We're going on through
| out Berlin. A grand chorale was played b,
the trumpeters of the Gardes du Corps ant
| CuirasSier regiments from the top of the cit,
hall tower, from o'clock till TO- Then fol
| lowed service of song and thanksgiving il
the churches by the children of the city. A
noon, in the noble church of St. Nicholas, tn
great civic service of the day was held
The municipal procession was headed b.
heralds and marshals bearing the town ban
ner, the whole body led by evangelical
! clergy, the chief civil and military authori
ties, representatives of German science, ar
| and commerce, the directors of the gym
| nasium, and burgesses and communal
officers In all there were over 1000 per
sons. The procession was accompanied b
several bands, which played marches alter
mated with chorals by the trumpeters. Th
procession went in state from the town hal
to attend the commemorative religious SCI
vices in the Church Of st. Nicholas. Tn
clergymen were all full robe1 and the official
wore their uniforms and regalia.
AT noon the royal salute OF lOl guns wa
fired from Koenigs Platz Bismarck an
gratulatlons to the Emperor at 10 O'Clock
I nba a,ntb 10 oil oil ~